A bicycle accessory transport system having two stacked structures is disclosed. The structures are adapted to receive an accessory item such as a water bottle, a battery, or a repair kit and to hold such item securely and safely during a bike ride. The two structures are attached to each other in such a way that the back of the upper one is in contact with the front of the lower one, while the back of the lower one is attached to a suitable place on a bike frame. An item being inserted into the lower structure is guided into place by the back of the upper structure. In one embodiment of the invention, the spacing between the two structures may be varied by the user due to the presence of a pivot or other adjustment mechanism.
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16. A stacked water bottle carrier system for a bicycle adapted to securely and safely maintain at least two water bottles on a bicycle while the bicycle is in motion, the carrier system comprising:
a first water bottle carrier having a mounting bracket configured to mount a first side of the first carrier securely to a bicycle, and a first water bottle retainer coupled to the mounting bracket and adapted to receive and retain a first water bottle; and a second water bottle carrier coupled to a second side of the first carrier opposite the first side, the second water bottle carrier having a second water bottle retainer adapted to receive and retain a second water bottle.
1. A stacked structure transport system adapted to securely and safely maintain an accessory item on a bicycle while said bicycle is in motion, said transport system comprising:
(1) a first structure adapted to receive and retain a first accessory item at least a portion of which is cylindrically shaped having a height greater than its diameter, said first structure configured for secure attachment to said bicycle by an attachment mechanism located on a first side of said first structure; and (2) a second structure adapted to receive and retain a second accessory item at least a portion of which is cylindrically shaped having a height greater than its width, said second structure mounted on said first structure at a second side of said first structure opposite said first side, each of said first and second structures further includes a back piece, a front piece and a connecting piece, each said connecting piece extending between the back piece and the front piece of each of the first and second structure.
15. A stacked structure transport system adapted to securely and safely maintain an item on a bicycle while said bicycle is in motion, said transport system comprising:
(1) a first receptacle including a back piece comprising a pair of bars having a first length and a front piece comprising a pair of bars having a second length, said first length greater than said second length, said front and back pieces connected by at least one connecting piece, said first receptacle securely attached to said bicycle by an attachment mechanism located at or near said back piece of said first receptacle; and (2) a second receptacle including a front piece comprising a pair of bars having said second length and a back piece comprising a pair of bars having said first length, said front and back pieces connected by at least one connecting piece, said second receptacle pivotably mounted on said first receptacle such that at least a portion of said back piece of said second receptacle is in pivotable contact at a contact location with at least a portion of said front piece of said first receptacle, and such that said second receptacle is offset from said first receptacle, wherein said receptacles are adapted for the receipt and retention of said item on said bicycle.
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1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a retention system adapted to hold an item on a moving bicycle, and more specifically relates to a retention system in which two adjacent structures are mounted to a bicycle.
2. Background Art
Bicycle riding is an activity engaged in world-wide for recreation, competition, and as a means of transportation. In the U.S. alone, 65 million people are thought to ride regularly. As with any physical activity, cycling consumes energy and causes the participant to perspire, thus requiring the cyclist who wishes to ride in comfort, compete at a high level, or remain on the bike for long distances or periods of time, to replace essential nutrients during the ride itself. This in turn requires that the cyclist carry with him on the bicycle water, a sports drink, or other such items as will replenish his energy and quench his thirst.
A further reason for bicycle storage and carrying capacity has come with the development of bicycle accessories such as head lamps, odometers, and other electrical devices whose operation depends on power supplied by a battery. A conventional battery pack lasts for about two hours, and the accessory powered by it often takes up one of the bottle holders. First aid and bike repair kits may also be desirable while riding a bike, and a way to comfortably, safely, and securely transport these items must be provided.
One solution to the problem of accessory transport is to mount a metal water bottle holder to the frame of a bicycle. These bottle holders work for batteries as well as water bottles because batteries have been developed that adopt the shape of a typical bike water bottle. Sometimes additional bottle holders are mounted to a second location on the bike frame. In this way an additional water bottle or other accessory may be taken along on a bike ride. These measures, however, do not adequately address the accessory transport problem. A bike frame offers limited space in which to mount a bottle holder, and the mounting locations convenient to a rider's reach are still more limited in number. If one or more of these few locations is devoted to, for example, a battery or a first aid kit, the rider is forced to make do with perhaps a single water bottle, and must therefore shorten the length and reduce the intensity of his rides.
The need for larger amounts of water has been addressed, with partial success, by hydration packs that may be worn on the back like a backpack. Yet these are very difficult to clean, especially after having been filled with a sticky sports drink, and thus are likely to harbor bacteria, mold, and other unwanted or dangerous substances. Hydration packs also are bulky and limit maneuverability.
Therefore, there existed a need to provide a bicycle-mounted accessory transport system that provides increased capacity and accessibility without limiting maneuverability and flexibility. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a bicycle accessory transport system comprises two stacked structures adapted to receive an accessory item such as a water bottle, a battery, or a repair kit and hold such item securely and safely during a bike ride. The two structures are attached to each other in such a way that the back of an upper one is in contact with the front of a lower one, while the back of the lower one is attached to a suitable location on a bike frame. An item being inserted into the lower structure is guided into place by the back of the upper structure. In one embodiment of the invention, the spacing between the two structures may be varied by the user due to the presence of a pivot or other adjustment mechanism.
The stacked transport system of the present invention increases a bicycle's accessory carrying capacity by adding an upper structure and thus utilizing otherwise wasted space. At the same time, the invention increases the accessibility of the accessories thus transported by locating them within a rider's reach, by taking advantage of their shape, which tends to encourage an item onto the proper entry/exit line, and by increasing adjustability, whether through a pivot mechanism, flexible materials, or otherwise, to allow a variation in the structure spacing. The system may be installed using the same procedure, tools, and hardware that are currently used for a single structure. Because the disclosed system allows a rider to carry more accessories than do previous systems, the invention makes possible longer, more strenuous, and thus more enjoyable and less frustrating rides.
Although the invention is generally described as a bicycle-mounted system above, it also has utility in other environments such as when mounted to a golf cart, on heavy machinery, on stationary exercise equipment like treadmills or exercise bikes, or any similar location where maximizing storage capacity in limited space is desirable. When mounted to a treadmill, for example, a runner may store more water or other accessories than would be possible without the invention, and the accessories would be accessible during the workout session.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Particular embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, where like designations denote like elements.
The present invention is a bicycle-mounted accessory transport system that provides increased capacity and accessibility. According to the invention, a bicycle accessory transport system comprises two stacked structures adapted to receive an accessory item such as a water bottle, a battery, or a repair kit and hold it securely and safely during a bike ride. The two structures are attached to each other in such a way that the back of an upper structure is in contact with the front of a lower structure, while the back of the lower structure is attached to a suitable location on a bike frame. An item being inserted into the lower structure is guided into place by the back of the upper structure. In one embodiment of the invention, the spacing between the two structures may be varied by the user due to the presence of a pivot or other adjustment mechanism.
Referring now to the figures, and in particular to
By placing accessory transport system 10 somewhere within triangle 20, a rider of bicycle 12 makes use of space that would not otherwise be utilized. Currently-available accessory transport systems, having only a single structure in which to transport an item, leave unused a substantial portion of triangle 20. Accessory transport system 10 takes advantage of that space. Using the space of triangle 20 has the further advantage of being easily accessible to, meaning within easy reach of, the rider of bicycle 12.
To many bicycle riders, the weight of the bicycle and its accessories is an important concern, and lighter components are generally thought to be more desirable than heavier ones. In that regard, it is useful to point out that accessory transport system 10 may be manufactured to weigh less than would two single bottle holders welded together. According to an embodiment of the present invention, for instance, only one attachment mechanism 36 is included, whereas the combination of two single holders would include two such mechanisms. It should also be pointed out that the embodiments of the present invention are not simply a union of two single holders with one welded on top of the other. Rather, in a particular embodiment, as discussed herein, two stacked structures are offset from one another and adapted to possess a low profile and function together as a unit while adding only a small amount of additional weight to bicycle 12. The offset referred to is that, were system 10 removed from bicycle 12 and stood on end such that attachment mechanism 36 were perpendicular to the horizontal ground, the top of second structure 28 would be above the top of first structure 26. Said another way, structures 26 and 28, in the embodiment spoken of, do not line up but are staggered with respect to one another. This feature, as discussed above, allows a more compact system 10 than would otherwise be possible and eases the insertion and removal of accessories 50.
Referring now to
Referring still to
First structure 26 in one embodiment includes a ring 38 that encircles first structure 26 by passing between back piece 32 and attachment mechanism 36 and over the top of front piece 30. One convenient location for ring 38 is roughly midway between connecting piece 34 and front top bar 44 of front piece 30 on first structure 26. Ring 38 offers a convenient location to which second structure 28 may be attached. The point where ring 38 and back piece 32 of second structure 28 meet comprises a contact location 40. This location may conveniently be located on back piece 32 of second structure 28 at or near connecting piece 34. Contact location 40 may comprise a welded connection or any other suitable attachment means. Contact location 40 may further comprise a pivot mechanism as will be further explained in connection with FIGS. 3 and 8-10.
Second structure 28 may in one embodiment be connected to ring 38 at a position such that second structure 28 is substantially centered between front bars 46 of front piece 30 on first structure 26. Placing second structure 28 at that location means that system 10 will lie as much as is possible in the place defined by triangle 20, thus giving accessory transport system 10 a compact, streamlined profile. This streamlining effect is advantageous because it reduces wind resistance and because it maintains sufficient clearance of the rider's legs and stays out of the way of trail or road obstacles that may pass close to bicycle 12.
Ring 38, when used, lends strength and support to system 10. It is possible, and within the intended scope of the present invention, to construct accessory transport system 10 without ring 38. Such an alternative is shown in
First structure 26 and second structure 28, including each of their components, may be made of a metal, such as a lightweight metal, i.e., aluminum or an aluminum alloy, which may for convenience and comfort be covered with a cushioning material such as plastic. In their general dimensions and construction, structures 26 and 28 are each similar to the single water bottle holders well known in the art.
In one embodiment, front piece 30 of first and second structures 26 and 28 includes a pair of front bars 46. Front bars 46 may be spaced apart a distance of two or three inches so as to securely hold, by virtue of supplying pressure over a relatively large distance, an accessory inside structures 26 and 28. Back piece 32 likewise may include a pair of back bars 48. Back bars 48 are advantageously spaced apart to a lesser degree than front bars 46, perhaps at a distance of less than one inch. This close spacing provides a sturdy back support for an accessory carried within structures 26 and 28. Rear top bar 42 of back piece 32 contributes to the accessibility of accessory transport system 10 by acting as a guide for an accessory being inserted into structures 26 and 28. In one embodiment, first structure 26 may include a ramp, not shown in the figures, that extends from rear top bar 42 towards down tube 16 and which may ease the entry of accessory 50 into first structure 26.
In order to fit inside structures 26 or 28, an accessory will likely have a roughly cylindrical shape, as will be further explained in connection with FIG. 3. The accessory will thus tend to first contact structure 26 or 28 at or near rear top bar 42, after which the accessory may be guided down back bars 48 until it is fully housed in structure 26 or 28. However, as will be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art, one or more of the first or second structures 26 and 28 may be configured to receive and securely hold accessories of shapes other than cylindrical such as rectangular, square, triangular, oval, and even unsymmetrical shapes without departing from the nature of the teachings herein.
Connecting piece 34 typically comprises, like front piece 30 and back piece 32, a pair of connecting pieces 34, which may be parallel to each other or which may lie at an angle with respect to each other as is shown in FIG. 2. Because, as mentioned above, the most common accessories will likely have a roughly cylindrical shape with a diameter greater than about one and a half inches, connecting pieces 34 may advantageously be spaced apart by distances of up to an inch and a half, although greater distances may also be appropriate for certain accessories.
Accessory 50 will typically be a water bottle, a battery, or a structure in which other items may be carried. When accessory 50 is a water bottle or a battery it advantageously possesses a shape similar to that shown in
In order to increase the ease with which accessories 50 are placed in and removed from structures 26 and 28, the spacing between structure 26 and 28 may, in certain embodiments of system 10, be varied by the user. This capability will now be explained, having reference to
Referring now particularly to
Flex extension 94 both gives support to second structure 28 and provides the necessary flexibility to allow second structure 28 to be displaced when pivot mechanism 88 is rotated about front top bar 44. The embodiments shown offer just one example of how these goals may be accomplished, and it will be understood that other pivoting mechanisms and flexibility providers are also possible.
The pivoting action referred to above enables accessory transport system 10 to be constructed such that it may fit, if desired, within the limited space available inside triangle 20 of
In
Referring now to
Extender 68 is useful in those instances where ease of access to accessory 50 is important, and is particularly useful where transport system 10 is attached to down tube 16 of bicycle 12. Extender 68 raises accessory 50 up away from down tube 16 and closer to a point within easy reach of a rider of bicycle 12. While this may offer advantages in all kinds of riding situations, the convenient positioning is especially useful on large-frame bikes where the dimensions are such that a normal mounting position would complicate access to accessories 50, and in racing situations where riders must keep their eyes on the trial or road as much as possible and cannot afford to glance down at an out-of-the-way storage structure that can't be accessed easily.
As with the other embodiments of first structure 26 already described, bag 76 may be mounted to frame 13 of bicycle 12 shown in
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. This fact has been referred to in various places throughout the foregoing description.
Young, Allen C., Young, Paige E.
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